The 24-year-old has come so far, and he’s in position to go further.
He didn’t make Canada’s initial roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off last season and was headed for a vacation when he was summoned to Montreal as a potential emergency replacement.
The morning before a game against the United States at Bell Centre on Feb. 15, almost exactly a year ago now, he wasn’t allowed on the ice at the same time as defenseman Cale Makar, who was a game-time decision with an illness.
Makar couldn’t play, so Harley jumped into an intense rivalry game in a best-on-best tournament, blocking three shots in 18:17 in a 3-1 loss. He played in the rematch in the championship game at TD Garden in Boston on Feb. 20, assisting on a goal and blocking two shots in 21:56 in a 3-2 overtime win.
Peter DeBoer — an assistant for Canada, then Harley’s coach with the Dallas Stars — said it was the best thing that ever happened to him.
“It was almost like a switch flipped within him, like, ‘Hey, I can play at this level with these guys and be effective,’” DeBoer said. “When he came back, I mean, he was at a different level.”
Harley had 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in his first 16 games for Dallas after 4 Nations, and he finished the 2024-25 regular season with NHL career highs in goals (16), assists (34) and points (50) in 78 games.
He had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 18 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For the Olympics, Harley has been part of Team Canada since the announcement of the full roster Dec. 31. He has 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 45 games for Dallas this season.
“He’s got that quiet confidence to him, and these kids that are blessed skaters …” coach Jon Cooper said, his voice trailing off. “He’s headsy. He knows where to go, where to be, and he’s got a little snarl into his game. So, you like that about these guys, and he was a no-brainer for us.”
